Islamabad (Muhammad Yasir) Under the mandate of the Ministry of Interior, State of Qatar, the first Qatar Visa Center was inaugurated by Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi – Director of Visa support services department – Qatar Ministry of interior and Mohamed Ali Al Meer Labor Expert – Qatar Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs. Event was attended by a group of officials and businessmen from the Qatari and Pakistani side.
Work visa applicants migrating to the State of Qatar will be required to sign work contracts, enrol their biometrics data, and undergo medical test at the Qatar Visa Center. The center operates through an integrated electronic system to complete the enrolment of biometric data and required medical check-ups.
The application process for work visa applicants requires the applicants to;
- Get a visa reference number from the Ministry of Interior in the State of Qatar.
- Book an appointment by visiting www.qatarvisacenter.com and visit on appointment date Qatar Visa Center no earlier than fifteen minutes before the scheduled time.
- At the reception, the identity of the visa applicant is verified, the list of required documents checked, and a token issued.
- Once the token is called, visa applicants are required to digitally sign their work contract, enroll biometric data and undergo the required medical tests.
- Upon completion of the process at the visa center, visa applicants will be able to track the status of the application online or through their employer in the State of Qatar.
At this occasion the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Saqr Bin Mubarak Al Mansouri expressed his thoughts as, “In the context of strengthening the distinguished relations between the two countries, and the keenness of the State of Qatar to support these relations, the State of Qatar has decided to choose Pakistan as one of the first eight countries to launch two Qatar Visas Centers in Islamabad and Karachi respectively. This is in order to facilitate the recruitment of skilled labor from Pakistan, as well as to provide the required services for obtaining visas to the State of Qatar for the purpose of (visit and residence). It is to be noted that these procedures were carried out in the past after the entry of the expatriate to the State and will be done now by these centers in the origin country of the expatriate. This will ensure speedy completion of special process for the issuance of visas and residence permits in Qatar. However, these procedures, which are carried out at Qatar visa centers, do not affect the local procedures of the expatriate country related to travel abroad”.
The Ambassador also stressed on the decision of the State of Qatar to increase the number of Pakistani workers in Qatar whereby the State of Qatar will bring professional and semi-professional cadres of Pakistanis migrant workers to work on the infrastructure projects currently underway in Qatar in the framework of hosting the World Cup 2022.
The Ambassador also expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Pakistani workforce in the State of Qatar and its participation in the development of the State of Qatar, stressing that the State of Qatar provides a good environment for foreign employees. The United Nations agency International Labor Organization (ILO) has recognized the facilities granted by Qatar to foreign workers from all over the world.
Conveniently located at I-A, I&T Center,G-6, Islamabad, the visa center is equipped with state-of-the art biometric enrolment & medical test facility. The visa center is designed in line with international standards ensuring greater transparency, traceability and increased security for the visa applicants. The center operates between 8:30 am to 4:30 pm from Monday to Friday. In consideration of facilitating procedures for Pakistani applicants, the second QVC will inaugurate on the 29thof December 2018 at Karachi.
Some of the key medical tests to be conducted at the center include blood tests, x-ray, visual assessments, and physical examinations. The operations are backed by a team of highly qualified healthcare professionals with internal systems and processes based on the latest medical standards and best practices.
Qatar Visa Center maintains robust multi-lingual information services for the benefit of visa applicants across multiple touch points. Information on appointment scheduling, requirements and steps at the visa center can be found in English, Urdu and Arabic through its dedicated website (http://www.qatarvisacenter.com), call center helpline +920 51 843 938 4, email Info.pak@qatarvisacenter.com and walk-in at the reception.
